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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. band — a music group
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. last — final
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. swing — to play on
  21. band — a ring
  22. last — to go on
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com